EU Agrees to Potential Purchase of 1.8 Billion Doses of Pfizer Jab

The EU cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine by agreeing to a contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

A pharmacist fills a syringe with a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Vaccine Village in Antwerp, Belgium on April 30, 2021. Virginia Mayo/AP Photo

PORTO, Portugal—The European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her office has approved a contract for a guaranteed 900 million doses with the same amount of doses as a future option.